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Preventive care primer
by Gina Shaw
By taking a proactive approach to managing their health—
and their MS—young people
with the disease can maximize
their chances of a long and
healthy life.
Early treatment
“The data is out there that the
earlier you treat MS, the more
likely it is that you’re going to
forestall the progression of the
disease,” said Pat Kennedy, RN,
CNP, MSCN, a nurse educator
at Can Do MS. “MS is more
active early on in the process,
when inflammation is greater. So
if you get the disease-modifying
therapies that we have available
on board now, you’re not going
to realize the same progression
of the disease that you would
without them.”
How early is early? “Some
people would tell you that if
you’re diagnosed today, they’d
like to see you on treatment
within the next month or two,”
Kennedy said. “In fact, some
people may be diagnosed today,
but they’ve actually had MS for
five years.”
Covering the cost
People in their late teens and
early 20s—usually the earliest
age for MS onset—had been
the most likely to lose coverage
as they “aged out” of their
parents’ coverage, or their
student coverage ended. But
that’s starting to change with
the Affordable Care Act (ACA),
which allows young adults to
remain on their parents’ health
plans until age 26. After the
ACA took effect, a survey by
the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention found that the
Early treatment,
exercise, nutrition
and regular health
care started now can
make a difference in a
lifetime with MS.
number of Americans ages 19
to 25 without insurance fell
by nearly 1 million in the first
three months of 2011 (from 10
million in 2010 to 9.1 million
by April 2011).
For young people with MS,
Kimberly Calder, the director
of Federal Health Affairs
& Insurance Policy for the
Society, strongly recommended
taking a proactive approach to
insurance, as well as lifestyle
and medical care. “Make sure
you’re getting the full value
out of your coverage. Keep
accurate records and understand
and take full advantage of
your appeal rights, which are
stronger than ever thanks to the
ACA,” she said.
The right doctor
Now is also a good time for
young people with MS to begin
the process of developing a
strong relationship with their
health-care providers. These can
include a primary care physician,
neurologist, physical therapist or
psychologist, depending on the
individual needs of the person
with MS.
Call 1-800-344-4867
for an MS Navigator®, who
can help with finding area
neurologists or other clinicians
with expertise in MS. Also
visit
nationalMSsociety.org
and search for “Choosing the
Right Healthcare Providers” for
more on what to look for when
building a health-care team.
